Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
Encyclopedia
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee
.
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum was founded as a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society
in 1960 by Paul H. Merriman and Robert M. Soule, Jr. along with a group of local railway preservationists who were concerned with saving steam locomotives and railway equipment for future historical display.
pole yard which was located adjacent to the Southern Railway classification yard
on Holtzclaw Avenue in East Chattanooga. After the termination of passenger service to the Southern Railway terminal station in 1971, additional cars and locomotives were stored at this facility in downtown Chattanooga. In 1969, the TVRM received a land donation from the Southern Railway consisting of a property located in East Chattanooga on North Chamberlain Avenue. This donation also included the 986 feet (300.5 m)-long Whiteside Tunnel and about a mile and a half of abandoned right-of-way.
In 1970 the museum opened a new permanent facility in East Chattanooga to the public. At the time of its opening, there were no structures on site, although volunteers had constructed a rail yard for the storage and repair of equipment, and they had rebuilt the abandoned rail line through the Whiteside Tunnel. The reconstructed line ended at Tunnel Boulevard as the original bridge over this road had been removed some years earlier.
by running passenger excursion trains through Missionary Ridge Tunnel.
Additional income was derived from mainline excursions operated biannually via the Southern Railway's Steam Program. The birth of the Southern Railway's Steam Program was brought about by Paul Merriman and TVRM, when, in 1964, Merriman purchased a former Southern Steam locomotive number 4501 from the K&T Railroad in Stearns, Kentucky
. The program began in 1966 when the freshly restored 4501 emerged from a 2 years long restoration which had been done at Lucey Boiler Company in Chattanooga, Tennessee. After many volunteer hours by TVRM members as well as paid Lucey Boiler employee work the 4501 began roaming all over the Southern Railway System delighting onlookers and passengers every where.
After years of hard work and the exercising much financial discipline in 1977 TVRM finally built the long needed bridge over Tunnel Blvd. The Southern Railway then donated an additional mile and a half of abandoned rail line. The next major task undertaken was to build the East Chattanooga Depot. This Depot is a reconstruction of a typical small town depot of the 1920s The 1980s saw TVRM expanding and getting more land donated from the Southern Railway; during this time more buildings and track was added. The Grand Junction Depot, TVRM Administration Building and the National Model Railroad Association
were starting to take shape. At the East Chattanooga facility, a repair shop and a turntable
were added to provide facilities for locomotive repair and maintenance. The 1990s rolled around and TVRM had a locomotive ready for the Missionary Ridge Local, steam locomotive 610 was ready for service and Norfolk Southern dropped the fires on the steam excursions (Southern 4501
was the one that started it all, owned by TVRM). The 1990s also saw TVRM running trains to the Chattanooga Choo Choo (called the Downtown Arrow, now discontinued) and excursions down to Summerville, Georgia
, on the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway
.
In 2004, TVRM and the Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association partnered up in acquiring part of the former L&N Hook and Eye line between Etowah, TN, (Gee Creek, TN) and Copperhill, TN. Since then (though skipping the 2005 season), the new Hiwassee River Rail Adventures have been a welcome addition to the railroad. With the success of the Hiwassee trips, TVRM split into two distinct operating divisions the Chattanooga and Hiwassee Divisions, though crews and sometimes equipment often bounce between the two.
movie Some Like it Hot
, which was filmed in 1959, two years before TVRM started).
A partial list of movies shot with TVRM equipment:
) steam locomotive 610, and see what railroading was like in the golden age of railroading. In 2004, TVRM began providing excursion trains to the Hiwassee Loop with NC&StL 710 pulling the train. As a result of this expanded service, TVRM received a trainset from the defunct Hardin Southern Railroad
in Hardin, Kentucky
. TVRM has painted and leased Southern Railway GP30
no. 2594 from the Southeastern Railway Museum
in Duluth, Georgia
for use on the L&N Hook and Eye line.
TVRM also handles a bit of freight. On TVRM's Chattanooga Division, there is one industry, Allied Metals. TVRM also handles switching operations at Enterprise South Industrial Park
(ESIP), location of the Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant
. And though there are no major industries along the Hiwassee Division, TVRM can store several hundred cars at the Copperhill, TN, yard for other railroads.
to full operational order. 630's 10 year long restoration was the most extensive restoration ever performed at TVRM, and one of the most extensive steam locomotive repairs in the US since the end of steam on the railroads.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
.
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum was founded as a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society
National Railway Historical Society
The National Railway Historical Society is a non-profit organization established in 1935 in the United States to promote interest in, and appreciation for, the historical development of railroads. It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and organized into 16 regions and...
in 1960 by Paul H. Merriman and Robert M. Soule, Jr. along with a group of local railway preservationists who were concerned with saving steam locomotives and railway equipment for future historical display.
History
Founded in 1960 and incorporated in 1961, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum originally stored equipment at the Western UnionWestern Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
pole yard which was located adjacent to the Southern Railway classification yard
Classification yard
A classification yard or marshalling yard is a railroad yard found at some freight train stations, used to separate railroad cars on to one of several tracks. First the cars are taken to a track, sometimes called a lead or a drill...
on Holtzclaw Avenue in East Chattanooga. After the termination of passenger service to the Southern Railway terminal station in 1971, additional cars and locomotives were stored at this facility in downtown Chattanooga. In 1969, the TVRM received a land donation from the Southern Railway consisting of a property located in East Chattanooga on North Chamberlain Avenue. This donation also included the 986 feet (300.5 m)-long Whiteside Tunnel and about a mile and a half of abandoned right-of-way.
In 1970 the museum opened a new permanent facility in East Chattanooga to the public. At the time of its opening, there were no structures on site, although volunteers had constructed a rail yard for the storage and repair of equipment, and they had rebuilt the abandoned rail line through the Whiteside Tunnel. The reconstructed line ended at Tunnel Boulevard as the original bridge over this road had been removed some years earlier.
Heritage railroad
With the reconstructed rail line, the museum had the ability to produce a small amount of income operating a heritage railroadHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
by running passenger excursion trains through Missionary Ridge Tunnel.
Additional income was derived from mainline excursions operated biannually via the Southern Railway's Steam Program. The birth of the Southern Railway's Steam Program was brought about by Paul Merriman and TVRM, when, in 1964, Merriman purchased a former Southern Steam locomotive number 4501 from the K&T Railroad in Stearns, Kentucky
Stearns, Kentucky
Stearns is a census-designated place in McCreary County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,586 at the 2000 census. It was founded by Justus Smith Stearns.-Geography:Stearns is located at ....
. The program began in 1966 when the freshly restored 4501 emerged from a 2 years long restoration which had been done at Lucey Boiler Company in Chattanooga, Tennessee. After many volunteer hours by TVRM members as well as paid Lucey Boiler employee work the 4501 began roaming all over the Southern Railway System delighting onlookers and passengers every where.
After years of hard work and the exercising much financial discipline in 1977 TVRM finally built the long needed bridge over Tunnel Blvd. The Southern Railway then donated an additional mile and a half of abandoned rail line. The next major task undertaken was to build the East Chattanooga Depot. This Depot is a reconstruction of a typical small town depot of the 1920s The 1980s saw TVRM expanding and getting more land donated from the Southern Railway; during this time more buildings and track was added. The Grand Junction Depot, TVRM Administration Building and the National Model Railroad Association
National Model Railroad Association
The National Model Railroad Association is a non-profit organization for those involved in the hobby or business of model railroading. It was founded in the United States in 1935, and is now active in Canada, Australia, Great Britain, and the Netherlands...
were starting to take shape. At the East Chattanooga facility, a repair shop and a turntable
Turntable (railroad)
A railway turntable is a device for turning railroad rolling stock. When steam locomotives were still in wide use, many railroads needed a way to turn the locomotives around for return trips as their controls were often not configured for extended periods of running in reverse and in many...
were added to provide facilities for locomotive repair and maintenance. The 1990s rolled around and TVRM had a locomotive ready for the Missionary Ridge Local, steam locomotive 610 was ready for service and Norfolk Southern dropped the fires on the steam excursions (Southern 4501
Mikado Locomotive No. 4501
Southern Railway 4501 is a steam locomotive built in 1911 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Southern Railway . The engine is a 2-8-2 locomotive, and was the very first of that wheel arrangement the railroad owned.- History :...
was the one that started it all, owned by TVRM). The 1990s also saw TVRM running trains to the Chattanooga Choo Choo (called the Downtown Arrow, now discontinued) and excursions down to Summerville, Georgia
Summerville, Georgia
Summerville is a city in Chattooga County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,556 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Chattooga County.- Geography :Summerville is located at ....
, on the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway
Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway
The Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway is a short-line railroad which is headquartered in LaFayette, Georgia. The railroad operated twenty-two miles of the Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Kensington, Georgia, which went reverted to the Norfolk Southern System...
.
In 2004, TVRM and the Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association partnered up in acquiring part of the former L&N Hook and Eye line between Etowah, TN, (Gee Creek, TN) and Copperhill, TN. Since then (though skipping the 2005 season), the new Hiwassee River Rail Adventures have been a welcome addition to the railroad. With the success of the Hiwassee trips, TVRM split into two distinct operating divisions the Chattanooga and Hiwassee Divisions, though crews and sometimes equipment often bounce between the two.
In the movies
TVRM has been a prime movie spot since the 1980s. Several of the rail cars that TVRM owns have been used in movies (for example, the collection holds the Pullman sleeping car "Clover Colony" that was used in the Marilyn MonroeMarilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
movie Some Like it Hot
Some Like It Hot
Some Like It Hot is an American comedy film, made in 1958 and released in 1959, which was directed by Billy Wilder and starred Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and George Raft. The supporting cast includes Joe E. Brown, Pat O'Brien and Nehemiah Persoff. The film is a remake by Wilder and I....
, which was filmed in 1959, two years before TVRM started).
A partial list of movies shot with TVRM equipment:
- The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James
- October SkyOctober SkyOctober Sky is a 1999 American biographical film directed by Joe Johnston, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper and Laura Dern. It is based on the true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the launch of Sputnik 1 to take up rocketry against his father's wishes, and who...
Southern 4501 appearing as N&W 4501 with O. Winston LinkO. Winston LinkOgle Winston Link , known commonly as O. Winston Link, was an American photographer. He is best known for his black-and-white photography and sound recordings of the last days of steam locomotive railroading on the Norfolk & Western in the United States in the late 1950s...
being the engineer ) - Mama Flora's FamilyMama Flora's FamilyMama Flora's Family is a novel by Alex Haley. The story begins with Flora, a daughter of poor black sharecroppers at her home in Mississippi...
- Heaven's Fall
- FDR (shot in Summerville, GeorgiaSummerville, GeorgiaSummerville is a city in Chattooga County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,556 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Chattooga County.- Geography :Summerville is located at ....
, using TVRM equipment) - The Adventures of Ociee Nash
- FledFledFled is a 1996 action film directed by Kevin Hooks. A remake of the 1958 film The Defiant Ones, the film stars Laurence Fishburne and Stephen Baldwin as a pair of escaped criminals on the run from the police, corrupt officials and the Cuban Mafia....
(shot on the TVRM mainline) - Fool's ParadeFool's ParadeFool's Parade is the fifth solo album by Peter Wolf, released in 1998 .-Track listing:#"Long Way Back Again" – 3:43#"Turnin' Pages" – 3:38#"Anything at All" Fool's Parade is the fifth solo album by Peter Wolf, released in 1998 (see 1998 in music).-Track listing:#"Long Way Back Again" (Will...
(SOU 4501 as B&O 4501) - LeatherheadsLeatherheadsLeatherheads is a 2008 American sports comedy film from Universal Pictures directed by and starring George Clooney. The film also stars Renée Zellweger, Jonathan Pryce and John Krasinski and focuses on the early years of professional American football....
, 2008, starring George Clooney and Renee Zellweger - Water for ElephantsWater for Elephants (film)Water for Elephants is a 2011 American romantic drama film based on Sara Gruen's novel of the same name, directed by Francis Lawrence, from a screenplay by Richard LaGravenese...
, 2011, starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson - The music video for Josh Turner's country music hit single "Long Black Train" was shot on TVRM property as well.
Current operations
Today, TVRM is still running trains and has started local service for a company next to their mainline. Visitors can take a 6 miles (9.7 km) round trip ride, typically pulled by ex-U.S. Army consolidation-type (2-8-02-8-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
) steam locomotive 610, and see what railroading was like in the golden age of railroading. In 2004, TVRM began providing excursion trains to the Hiwassee Loop with NC&StL 710 pulling the train. As a result of this expanded service, TVRM received a trainset from the defunct Hardin Southern Railroad
Hardin Southern Railroad
The Hardin Southern Railroad was a short line freight and tourist railroad located in Hardin, Kentucky. In 2005, the Murray-Calloway Economic Development Corporation bought the former line and leased it to the KWT Railway for the purpose of serving the Murray Industrial Park in Murray.A passenger...
in Hardin, Kentucky
Hardin, Kentucky
Hardin is a city in Marshall County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 564 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hardin is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
. TVRM has painted and leased Southern Railway GP30
EMD GP30
The EMD GP30 was a 2,250 hp four-axle B-B diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois between July, 1961 and November, 1963...
no. 2594 from the Southeastern Railway Museum
Southeastern Railway Museum
The Southeastern Railway Museum is a railroad museum located in Duluth, Georgia in suburban Atlanta.The museum was founded in 1970 by the Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. It is recognized by the IRS as a 501 non-profit organization for historical and educational purposes...
in Duluth, Georgia
Duluth, Georgia
Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia and an increasingly more affluent and developed suburb of Atlanta. Unincorporated portions of Forsyth County also have Duluth as a mailing address, though this area is outside city limits...
for use on the L&N Hook and Eye line.
TVRM also handles a bit of freight. On TVRM's Chattanooga Division, there is one industry, Allied Metals. TVRM also handles switching operations at Enterprise South Industrial Park
Enterprise South Industrial Park
The Enterprise South Industrial Park, located in Chattanooga, Tennessee consists of . A large portion of this property is now home to Volkswagen's new United States automobile plant.- History :...
(ESIP), location of the Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant
Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant
Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant is an automobile assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee that began production in April 2011, was formally inaugurated in May 2011 and is expected to employ approximately 2,000 once fully operational...
. And though there are no major industries along the Hiwassee Division, TVRM can store several hundred cars at the Copperhill, TN, yard for other railroads.
Restoration Work
TVRM has a full working locomotive and car repair shop complex, Soule Shops (named after co-founder, Robert M. Soule, Jr.), capable of handling even the heaviest repairs. Currently (March 27, 2011), TVRM is restoring Southern Railway E8A #6914 to operational status, as well as its flagship locomotive, Southern Railway Ms Class #4501. March 2011, the museum finished restoring Southern Railway Ks-1 class 2-8-0 #630Southern Railway 630
Southern Railway 630 is a steam locomotive built in 1904 by the American Locomotive Company for the Southern Railway. It is a 2-8-0 Consolidation of Southern's Ks-1 class....
to full operational order. 630's 10 year long restoration was the most extensive restoration ever performed at TVRM, and one of the most extensive steam locomotive repairs in the US since the end of steam on the railroads.